Months back, the Internet nerd patrol was abuzz with news that Microsoft had purchased the domain name “so.cl” (yes, that’s the Web address, pronounced “social”) and would be launching some type of social network under that banner.

Then, perhaps because of the distraction caused by their Windows 8 and Surface Tablet releases, we all forgot about so.cl.

But now they’re unveiling the fledgling social network to the world, and a quick trip over to www.so.cl will let you take a test drive.

At first glance, it feels more like Pinterest than Facebook or Google+. And maybe that’s a good thing. We need another social network for social network’s sake like we need a hole in the head. Social has long been dubbed a “feature,” meaning it’s something to be baked into a product and not be the product itself.

Facebook has basically cornered the social product market, and a Facebook clone with slight alterations would just be doomed.

Aside from that little bit of optimism, though, I have no real confidence that so.cl will catch market traction. If I want to use Pinterest, I’ll use Pinterest. Of course, I don’t really want to use Pinterest, so maybe I’m biased.

I have serious doubts that Microsoft can take the ball and run with it in the consumer space. Their tablets have been met with lackluster reviews at best, and Windows 8 seems like an annoying necessity instead of an exciting upgrade.

Even the name is a loser for me. Sure, the domain “www.so.cl” is a little catchy and quirky, but the term “social” is an overplayed commodity online, so much so that it immediately gets lost in the conversation.

As someone who pays a lot of attention to this space, I am actually rooting for Microsoft to make a splash here. I wish there was more innovation that helped connect people better. I just don’t see it happening on so.cl. I get it, I get it. You can find pictures and videos and then you can connect with the people who posted those pictures and videos. Color me unimpressed.

They do have a video sharing feature called “Parties” that lets you find videos and watch them with people, either strangers or your friends. It’s similar to, yet different from Google+ Hangouts or Sean Parker’s Airtime, and it’s really underwhelming. It’s such a niche use case that it just fades into “so what” oblivion.

At its core, social networking is about connecting people better. And on the surface, I cannot see how so.cl does this. If I’m missing something and we’re all chatting on so.cl this time next year, then you can point at me and laugh, but the smart money says we’ll all still be using Facebook and iPads and not so.cl and Microsoft Surface Tablets.

Jesse Bushkar is the CEO of Sysconn New Media Inc. He can be contacted at 912-356-9920 or jesse@sysconn.com.